Electrical connector



D. EPPLER June 13, 1967 ELECTR I CAL CONNECTOR 2 Shnets-$heet 1 Filed Dec. 28, 1964 FIG.

INVENTOR. DAN/EL EPPL 5/? A T 70/? NE V June 13, 1967 D. EPPLER ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 28, 1964 FIG.6

R v. E N E M W T 1 T E A L M M D United States Patent 3,325,776 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Daniel Eppler, Nutley, N.J., assignor to The Thomas & Betts Co., Elizabeth, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 421,515 6 Claims. '(Cl. 339-472) This invention relates to an electrical connector designed to facilitate tapping into electrical cable, providing a simplified connection of ca'blesfor example, main and branch wires, inserted into a body member, on movement of a single pin, firmly electrically securing the cables in the connector.

The device is designed to accommodate a wide range of cable sizes and facilitates connecting them electrically and efiiciently, without the use of special tools.

The drawings, illustrating procedures and devices useful in carrying out the invention, and the description below, are exemplary only of the invention, which shall be deemed to cover all other devices and procedures coming within the scope and purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken at line 1-1 of FIG. 7,

FIG. 2 is an open, end elevational view thereof,

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken at line 33 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an exploded device, disassembled,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the device, with cables therein,

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view thereof, taken at line 66 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view thereof, taken at line 7-7 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 8 is a transverse, vertical sectional view of a further form thereof.

As shown in the drawings, the electrical connector of this invention comprises a body member 10 having spaced parallel first and second walls 11 and 12 having apertures 14, 15 (FIG. 4) disposed out of registry, one wall being shorter than the other, a transverse wall 13 serving as a connecting bottom wall. An L-shaped plate 16 is proportioned to be positioned at its ends 17 and 18 axially slidably in and through said wall apertures 14, 15, thus axially slidably securing plate 16 to body member 10.

A cable spacer bar 19 is movably positioned intermediate the walls 11, 12 of the body member; an elongated pin 20 is axially disposed in the plate for movement therein relative to the bar, so that, on assembly of the parts (FIGS. 6 and 8) a cable, 21, may be positioned intermediate pin 20 and bar 19, and a second cable, 22, positioned intermediate the bar and bottom wall 13 of the body member. On positioning cables in body member 10, as shown in FIG. 5, movement of pin 20 downward ly in the body member will compress the cables intermediate the pin, bottom wall 13 and spacer bar 19 of the body member. The pin 20 and plate 16 may be complementarily threaded for that purpose, and the pin 20 may be provided with means, such as a keyway or socket 24 (FIG. 5), or contoured exteriorly, to facilitate rotation thereof. The L-shaped plate 16 maybe provided with grooves 25, 26 (FIG. 4) parallel with and adjacent the perspective view of parts of the 3,325,776 Patented June 13, 1967 ends thereof, proportioned for interfitting registry with the walls of the body member marginally adjacent the apertures 14, 15 receiving the ends -of plate 23 (FIG. 1) on assembly of the parts. Said grooves may be formed with any desired angle for the purpose. The spacer bar 19 may be formed cross sectionally concave-concave (FIG. 1) for registry of the cables therewith and may be provided with serrations 27 to enhance the gripping action and with extended end edges or portions 28 for overlapping sliding engagement (FIG. 3) with one or both of the walls of the body member.

Stop members 29 may be formed along the parallel walls 11, 12 of the body member in spaced relation to the bottom wall 13 thereof (FIG. 4) to project into the plane of movement of spacer 19 for limiting movement thereof upwardly.

Link means, such as 30 (FIG. 4) may be provided to pivotally connect the plate 16 and thereby facilitate movement thereof into (FIG. 1) and out of (FIG. 2) engagement with the apertured portion 15 of the body member. Said link means may be defined by (FIG. 4) plate 31 having studs 32 extended therefrom in spaced parallel relation and proportioned for sliding movement in the aperture 14 (FIG. 5) and a pivot (cotter or other) pin 33 provided for passage through an aperture 34 in the plate 16 and through the studs 32 to interconnect the plate 16 and the link means 30 in such fashion that (FIG. 2) the plate 16 may be pivotally tilted away from the wall 11 of the body member while connected thereto. In use of the device the branch cable may be mounted above or below the main cable.

While the foregoing disclosure of exemplary embodiments is made in accordance with the patent statutes, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby, the inventive scope being defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An electrical connector for a pair of cables, comprising a body member having parallel first and second walls, said walls having apertures, a transverse wall connecting the same, an L-shaped plate proportioned to be positioned with its ends in said apertures and movable therein axially of said first and second walls, a cable spacer bar positioned intermediate the first and second walls for movement relative to the transverse wall, an elongated pin engaging the plate for movement therein relative to the bar, so that a first cable may be positioned intermediate the pin and bar and a second cable intermediate the bar and bottom wall of the body member, and then, on movement of the pin axially toward the bar, the cables may be secured to the body member, link means slidably dis-posed through an aperture in one of said walls connecting said L-shaped plate to said one of said walls, said link means having means pivotally connecting the L-shaped plate to said link means.

2. In an electrical connector as set forth in claim 1, said L-shaped plate being provided with means adjacent the ends thereof for interfitting registry with the walls marginally adjacent the apertures therein.

3. In an electrical connector as set forth in claim 1, said spacer bar being provided with transverse serrations.

4. In an electrical connector as set forth in claim 1, said link means comprising a plate and studs extended from said plate in spaced relation and proportioned for sliding movement in said aperture.

'is larger than the aperture in said one of said walls.

- 4 5. An electrical connector as defined in claim 1 where- 2,774,953 12/ 1956 Trier 339-27 2 in the link means comprises a rectangular frame, Studs 2,777,119 1/ 1957 Edmunds 339272 extending from the frame, and aligned openings in the 2,938 191 5/ 1960 Kob -yner t 1 339 -272 studs. 3,259,877 7/1966 Norden 339-272 X 6. A device as defined 1n claim 5 wherem the frame 5 OTHER REFERENCES Paschen et aL, German printed application No. 1,054,- References Cited 3 April 959 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,145,556 1/1939. Rypinski. 10 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Exammer.

2,196,383 4/1940 Buchanan. P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR A PAIR OF CABLES, COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER HAVING PARALLEL FIRST AND SECOND WALLS, SAID WALLS HAVING APERTURES, A TRANSVERSE WALL CONNECTING THE SAME, AN L-SHAPED PLATE PROPORTIONED TO BE POSITIONED WITH ITS ENDS IN SAID APERTURES AND MOVABLE THEREIN AXIALLY OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND WALLS, A CABLE SPACER BAR POSITIONED INTERMEDIATE THE FIRST AND SECOND WALLS FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE TRANSVERSE WALL, AN ELONGATED PIN ENGAGING THE PLATE FOR MOVEMENT THEREIN RELATIVE TO THE BAR, SO THAT A FIRST CABLE MAY BE POSITIONED INTERMEDIATE THE PIN AND BAR AND A SECOND CABLE INTERMEDIATE THE BAR AND BOTTOM WALL OF THE BODY MEMBER, AND THEN, ON MOVEMENT OF THE PIN AXIALLY TOWARD THE BAR, THE CABLES MAY BE SECURED TO THE BODY MEMBER, LINK MEANS SLIDABLY DISPOSED THROUGH AN APERTURE IN ONE OF SAID WALLS CONNECTING SAID L-SHAPED PLATE TO SAID ONE OF SAID WALLS, SAID LINK MEANS HAVING MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE L-SHAPED PLATE TO SAID LINK MEANS. 